Elektra

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Bill Bennett Collapses at SFS Concert

Janos Gereben emailed me earlier this evening with the news that Bill Bennett, SFS principal oboist, collapsed on stage during or at the start of the Strauss Oboe Concerto. Janos now has confirmation about this from Oliver Thiel of SFS. Bennett was taken to the hospital, where he is being treated.

They took an early and longer-than-usual intermission, then resumed around 9. All await further news, with best wishes for Bennett's complete recovery.

Apparently I managed to delete, rather than publish, the following comment last night, from reader SFS and SFB subscriber:

We were there. Looked to be a stroke. He was playing very well with great expression and then suddenly his right leg just collapsed like he had no control of it. Cancer treatments, I think, can make it more likely for one to get strokes..... I hope he is able to recover fully....